


Dial-Up

by SpindlyJohnny



Category: Glitch Techs (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Minor Original Character(s), Speculation, resetting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22852447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpindlyJohnny/pseuds/SpindlyJohnny
Summary: Don't you think it's weird how the gauntlet's Reset feature has a slider which goes to 100%? Five and Miko discuss the implications.This story takes place after Tutorial Mode.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 183





	Dial-Up

"Hey, Miko?"

Miko looked up from the store's Castlestein demo station. Five was sitting on top of the counter, watching her with a troubled expression. "What's up?"

"Something's been nagging at me ever since we met. About.." He looked over both his shoulders; Miko could tell from his body language that he was watching out for customers. A sure sign that he wanted to talk about something Tech related. Fortunately for him, it was a slow day at the store with not a shopper in sight. "It's about the reset."

The reset, of course. That sci-fi magic flash that solved all their problems. "If it's about why I can't be wiped, I've got the same idea as you. None, zip, zilch!" She gave Five a sly grin as she went back to the game. "Maybe I've got a special brain."

"No, it's not about that. I was just thinking about back when Mitch tried to wipe you. His gauntlet... he kept increasing the amount." That gave Miko pause. She hadn't really thought about that much. "Don't you think that's weird," Five continued. "We use the reset to wipe civilians right after they see something glitchy. So there only needs to be one setting, right?"

Miko leaned against the demo cabinet, arms crossed, and processed what her friend said. It did seem strange that erasing more of someone's memory was an option their gauntlets had. "Yeah, they never told us what the other settings do in Tutorial. It even goes up to 100%." A leap of logic occurred, and Miko let out a huge gasp. "WHAT IF IT'S A CONSPIRACY?! Maybe, there's an even more secret group of Techs that wipe out the memories of people who know too much, so they get dragged away to be locked up _FOREVER_!" Her wild imaginations brought tears to her eyes. Miyamoto help her if one of her siblings had to be taken away by Hinobi because they saw too much.

Five's eyes grew wide. "What do you think happens when someone gets reset 100%? Do they just- just- just-" He gestured wildly with his hands as he formed his words. "Is everything gone? Even the not-Glitch stuff?" He grasped the sides of his head. "Oh nerds, was Mitch gonna _fry your brain?!_ "

Across the store, the door to the locker room opened, revealing their boss, Phil. Five and Miko scrambled to look busy, which ended up looking a little ridiculous in a store with no customers. Behind Phil, there was an older girl with short blue hair, probably college-aged, carrying a cardboard box full of stuff. One of their coworkers, an assistant manager who Miko couldn't remember the name of. "You sure we can't change your mind?" Phil said, with just a hint of a chuckle behind his words. "Bay City probably has tons of branch stores we can transfer you to."

The girl shook her head. " 'fraid not. Med school's gonna take a lot out of my tank, so my days of chasing down glitches in the middle of the night are over."

A sad smile graced Phil's face, a rare sight for the rookies. "Well, we hate to see you go, Emma. You were one of our best here." Miko didn't miss the way he fidgeted with his manager badge. "Of course, you know what this means, right?"

"Yeah, that kinda sucks. Pretty KND if you ask me." Emma unclasped the bracelet around her right wrist, the collapsed form of the gauntlet, handed it back to Phil, and pulled the big man in for a hug. "I'm gonna miss this place. Whenever you're ready, my guy."

Five, who had been watching the interaction over his shoulder, made a sound like a chew toy losing air. He suddenly turned around to shield himself from the glare Phil sent their way. Miko's eye contact stayed unbroken as she saw a gauntlet form itself around Phil's wrist. He tuned the slider on the screen to some point far past the middle before aiming his manager badge at Emma. "You've been with us for a while, so I'm gonna have to wipe all those years," he said. "Good luck in med school, kid. At least you'll remember how much fun you had working at the Hinobi store."

It was over in a flash. Emma had released Phil from the hug, a vacant smile on her face as Miko could practically see the load bar completing on the reset. "On behalf of Hinobi Games, we wish you good luck in the future." Phil's voice had resumed its business tone.

When she came back to herself, Emma gave Phil a cordial handshake and picked up the box full of her belongings. "It's been great working with you. See ya around, Mr. No-longer-Boss-man." 

Miko and Five looked at each other, then at the bracelets on their own wrists. Five spoke first. "So the slider was for... time?"

"Yeah," Phil responded, approaching the counter. "Sometimes witnesses can't be wiped right away and might go knowing things a little while before we correct that. And sometimes..." he gestured to Emma as she left the store. "It's sad to see long-time staff members go. But it's protocol."

They stood in silence for a moment before Phil gave both the Techs a hard look. "If you're looking for something to actually work on, someone needs to do inventory in the back."

Miko snapped to attention. "I'm on it!" she shouted as she sprinted towards the back room. So, that answered her question of _why_ their gauntlets had sliders. But while she grabbed a clipboard and started tallying the new shipment of Hinobi Dragonbox 2s, a concern persisted in the back of her head. A thought that made it hard to focus on the boxes, one that made her palms feel slick with sweat and left an awful feeling in her stomach.

_What happens to someone Reset at 100%?_

**Author's Note:**

> There you go, my headcanon for why the Tech Gauntlets have a slider for their Reset. I mean, it's inspired by the neuralyzers from Men in Black after all. One has to wonder why Hinobi authorized them to erase 100% of a person's memory.
> 
> Also inspired by MiB is the headcanon that Hinobi Resets their Techs who retire, resign, or are fired-- they know too much to be set free in the real world untouched. 
> 
> Just a short story for now, but I love Glitch Techs and would be so stoked to write more eventually!


End file.
